The Joy of Telling the Truth

I've been thinking a lot about truth-telling. Not the dramatic, movie-scene kind of truth-telling. But the simple act of saying what's actually happening, instead of dancing around it. Because we have all become experts at the dance.

At work, our dance consists of passive-aggressive exchanges. With friends and family, the dance is often careful, partial conversations. Tell some truth, but be careful not to tell it all. At some point in life, we all agreed to leave the full truth out of most of our interactions. And honestly? I think it's making us miserable.

We are told that telling the truth is rude. But it doesn't have to be harsh or unkind. The truth can be a gift; not only to the other person, but to ourselves as well.  It takes so much mental energy to constantly edit ourselves. To have conversations where everyone knows there are elephants in the room that aren't being acknowledged.

Here's what I've learned about telling the whole truth: it actually creates more joy, not less. When I stopped editing myself so heavily, when I started saying what was really happening (kindly, but honestly), something shifted. My conversations are clearer and my relationships are more fulfilling. My mind isn't so cluttered and worried about all the things I haven't said to someone.

Sometimes people don't, and won't, love the truth. There may be uncomfortable moments. But living with the consequences of honesty has been so much lighter than carrying around all those unspoken truths. Sharing my whole truth has been freeing. And it is so worth any bit of discomfort or pushback from someone else. Telling the truth really can be a way to increase our personal joy. And I promise it is an easier way to live.